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JAMES STEPHEN SON OF CANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK. LettersiPatent No. 60,954, dated January 1, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN DOOR ANDl GATE SPRIN GS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CON CERN Bc it known that I, JAMES STEPHENSON, of Canandaigua, in the county of Ontario, and State'iof New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Door and Gate Springs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this specicaticn,`and in which Figure 1 is a plan of adoor and door frame with my invention applied.

Figure 2- is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a detached perspective view of the springend its pintle.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts inthe several iigures.

This invention relates toeI novel spring device for retaining the door or gate in its open. or closed position, and consists in a peculiar arrangement of a coiled spring, MintIe, and lever, in connection with a pivoted roller,

vwhereby the actionof the springnpon the 4door is diminished as the 'door approaches its open position, and

reversed when the door is entirely open; so that the spring is adapted to hold the door either when opened or `4Yclosed, as will be presently explained.

In order that others skilled inthe art'to which my invention appertains may be enabledV to -fully understand and use the same,I will proceed to describe it in detail in connection with the accompanying drawings.

A may represent a door, and B B the hinges upon which it swings. C is a helical spring encircling a pintle or short shaft, D, which is rotated by the spring in the effort of the latter to uncoil, after the manner' of the mainspring of" a watch; the inner end of the spring being attached to the pintle D, and the outer end to the plate E.V The plate E is screwed or otherwise attached to `the door A, near the top thereof, and on this plate Aare formed the lugs e e, in which the` pintle D has its bearings, and between which the spring C is xed. In the upper projectingextremity of the pintle D is inserted the end of a lever, F, the opposite end oi' which 4plays in a groove in the periphery of a roller, Gwhich is journalled in a lug on a plate', G', attached to the lintel or upper part of the door frame. i 4

The operation of the several parts will be readily `understood. So long as thevlcver F has a full bearing against the roller Gr, as is the case when the door is closed, the action of the spring C-oan'ses' said lever to exert considerable force upon the door A; and this force is applied in a direction to hold the door to or push it towards its closed position. This force remains unabated, if not increased, while the door is being opened and untilabout one-hali` of the opening movement is completed; but when the door is hali`-way open, or in a position atright angles with* the door frame, the further movement of the door in opening the same will-bring the bearing point of the lever F against the roller G, nearer the loose extremity oi' said lever, and as fast as the bearing point approaches the extremity the force of the lever is diminished. As soon as the bearing point of the lever is transferred to a certain extent toward its loose extremity, the action of the lever F is reversed, and it then has a tendency to throw the door back instead of closed. Hence, the slight force which is applied by the spring when the door is entirely open serves to retain the door'in its open position, but permits it to be readily closed. During the closing movement of the door the bearing pointof the lever F againstv roller G gradually approaches the centre of said lever, and a corresponding increase ef force Ais the result. It will be observed that the spring C is comparatively at rest and without strain when the door is open, and-the point at which thevaction of the spring is reversed may be varied by setting the roller 4Gr in or out from the line of the hinges. There is a special advantage in applying the spring C to the door, inasmuch as the rotation of the pintle and the consequent contraction and expansion of the spring are more limited when thespring and pintle are revolved with the door than they would beV if the spring and pin'tle were applied tothe door frame or other stationary xture. In practice the spring C will be boxed, and the pintle pierced with two holes to admit of taking up one-fourth turn..

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new herein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent: I

I claim the spring C and pintle D, applied tov thedoor or gate as described, in combination with the lever F and roller G, or other circular bearing fixed to the stationary frame; when said parts are arranged and operate in the manner and for the purpose 'herein specified.

The above specification of my improvement in door or gate springs signed this third day of July, 1866. JAMES STEPHENSON. Witnesses:

ALEX. A.,C. KLAUCKE, 0. D. SMITH. 

